Grading machine



16, 1940. J. w. JOHNSTON GRADING MACHINE Filed lay 19, 1933 12 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan. 16,1940. J.w.J-QH-sTo-' 2,181

. egumme MACHINE Filed May 19, 1935 l2 Sheets-Sheet 3 Fig. 5

chm U9 Wm 15 QM Jan. 16, 1940. J, w JOHNSTON 2,187,204

GRADING MACHINE Filed May 19, 1933 12Sheets-Sheet 5 Fig.6.

Jan. 16, 1940..

J. w. JOHNSTON GRADING MACHINE Filed May l, 1933 12 Shets-Sheet 6 16, 1940; J. W.-JOHNSTON GRADING MACHINE Filed May 19; 1933 12 Sheets-Sheet 7 Jan. 16, 1940. J. W. JOHNS'fON GRADING MACHINE l2 Sheets-Sheet 9 Filed May 19, 1933 mm NQ K8 r llllll 11L IIIII..\VI. L

Jan. 16, 1940. J w JOHNSTON 2,187,204

GRADING MACHINE Filed May 19, 1933 12 Sheets-She6t l0 Jan. 16, 1940. w. JOHNSTON GRADING MACHINE Filed May 19, 1933 12 Sheets-Sheet 12 fig. 19 lr /e i Patented Jan. 16, 1940 7 d 2,187,204

UNITED STATES PATENT osrlcs James w. Johnston, ManchestenN. n., assignor to North American Holding Corporation, Syracuse, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application an 19, 193:, Serial No. mass 40 Claims. (c1. ea-11) This invention relates to grading machines specifically restricted to some particular species of the kind which grade shoe soles, taps and other of grading mechanism.

blanks ot,stock used in the manufacture of shoes, The present invention has to do particularly and more particularly to the well-known Nichols with the detecting and gauging or. measuring type of grading machines illustrated in a series mechanism, and the setting and transmission ,5

of patents granted to Elmer P Nichols and mechanisms by which the grading mechanism Leander A. Cogswell, of which the Nichols Patis controlled in accordance with the findings of ent No. 1,130,321, dated March 2, 1915, may be the measuring mechanism. Other features and referred to as an example. A characteristic combinations. will-be hereinafter described and m feature of such grading machines is that each pointed out in the claims.

blank is measured and graded in accordance In boot and shoe making it is desirable, and with the thickness of the thinnest spot of the indeed well-nigh essential for the best results, blank, or of a selected area hi the blank, as dethat in the completed shoe the exposed edge of termined by the detecting and measuring dethe sole or tapbe of substantially uniform 15 nice. thickness, especially at the opposite side edges There are various kinds of grading operations of the forepart. Consequently it is the thickperformed by various species of grading mechaness of the marginal area especially along the nisms, and the term grading, established in this side edges of a sole which should determine ,the art is a gener c term andinc udes evenin 0 thickness grade of the sole, and to which thick skiving the blank as a whole down to the grade ness the sole as a whole should be evenedor 20 or thickness of its thinnest spot, stamping or skived down. marking each blank with a character indicating Heretofore th detecting and measuring mechits thickness grade, indicating on a visual indianism of grading machines has comprised a pair eater the grades of the Several lanks, and sortof cylindrical rolls between which the sole or ing or distributing the blanks in accordance other blank passed. One roll moved yieldingly with h ir grade me urements. Two or more toward and from the other as thinner and thick- Speeies of grading mechanisms y be and er areas of the blank were encountered and the mm nly are contained in one machine and grading devices were responsive to this detectthe e grading is used ere n n s gene ing motion. These rolls usually extended com- '30 senseunless some particular kindrof g adi g is pletely across the'blank and engaged opposite speeifledsurfaces of the blanksubstantially from edge a Whatever may be the kind or kind of gr din to edge,vwith the result that it the blank had a tdbe performed the ppr priate g ading mechrelatively thin side marginal portion that poranism or mechanisms are adjusted through settion might not be detected by the rolls since the ting and transmission mechanisms in response rolls might be held apart by a thicker area in the 3a to and in-accordance with the thickness grade of interior or at the oppos te Side margin of h each blank as determined by the detecting and e A p have been e partially gauging Or measuring device, which acts. on correct this defect by dividing one or both of a each blank. as successive blanks are passed one the detecting mus two partssepara'ted by one through the machine. The measurements Spaced apart at the that melons are usually made in terms of MS of an would not be afiected by apath or region ex? inch). and the measurement transmitted to the tending lengthwise along the middle of the blank ading devices is usually the thickness meas- 2;:gig;ggg gg a? gfssz gg ggm J urement in irons or fractions of irons, which is Patent No. 15321140, hated April 1926, and 5 nearest to but not greater than the thickness of e cogsweu Patent 1,726,610, dated the thinnest part of the blank as determined .tember 3 1929, This expedient, although an by the measuringfievice. In the machine hereimprovement, was open t t same objection; in illustrated two species of gradingmechanisms (less only in degree) as t continuous r0113.

5|] are Shown, namely, an evening 0! sklving mech- The two spaced r011 sections each traversed a 31115111 n a Stamping marking mechanism; straight path on the blank and, when operating but it will be understood that additional or difon a, curved or irregular blank like a, cut sole, fer-ent species of gradingmechanisms might be instead of following a marginal path of uniform used, such as visual indicators or distributors, width traversed an area at the side of the blank as and are within the scope of the claims unless varying in width from a very narrow area or a ll;

.mere point to a the blank greatly breadth at the widest part of in excess of the marginal region which determines the proper grade of the One of the principal objects of the present in-- vention is to' provide measuring mechanism which which will measure only the side marginal portions of the blank, and will follow the contour of a blank having an irregular or nonrectilinear side edge and therefore measure a marginal area of substantially uniform breadthv irrespective of the measuring the edge contour of the blank, or calipering device at each edge of the blank being independent of the other and indifferent to thethickness of the interior portion or theopposite side marginal portion of the blank.- Thus the thickness detecting and messuding or calipering is performed upon and conflned to the precise marginal area of the blank which is determinative of the grade of the blank, and since the two calipering devices at opposite margins of the blank are independent of each other, and controlled thereby is responsive to both of said independently operated calipering devices, by which is meant that the grading means is adaptieda'and ready to respond to either of said calipering devices if a sumciently thin area of the blank is encountered by either to affect the grading means, and since the final adjustment of the grading means will accord with that one of the two calipering devices which measures the thinnest area of the blank as determined by either calipering device, it follows that the blank will be graded in accordance with the thickness of the thinnest spot as determined by either calipering device. In its broader aspects the invention might be applied to other instruments than calipering instruments, for acting only upon the margin of the blank.- 1

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a grading machine constructed in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the machine shown in Fig. 1;

Figs. 3 and 4 together make up a central longitudinal sectional view of the machine shown in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4- illustrates an alternative'i'orm of presser bar hereinafter described;

Fig. 4 is a section on line i -4 of Fig. 4*;

Fig. 5 is a section on line 5-5 of Fig. 2 after removal of the front wall of the storage mega zine from which the blanks are fed;

Fig. 6 is a detail of a clutch shipper hereinafter described;

Fig. 7 is a section on line of Fig. 1;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail of part of the rack bar which constitutes the power transmission member for adjusting the grading devices, together with the pawls for controlling the rack bar;

Fig. 9 is an elevation of a portion of the lefthand end of the machine shown in Figs. 1 and 2; Fig. 10 is an enlarged detail relating to the cutting mechanism;

' Fig. 11 is an enlarged detail relating to the mechanism for setting and preserving the thinness measurements ascertained by the calipering device; a

Fig. 12 is an enlarged plan view of a portion of respectively tov Figs. 14 and 15,

since the adjustable grading means of each blank emerges from the left-hand end of the machine shown in Figs. 1 and 2 showing a sole approaching the calipering devices; Fig. 13 is a section on line i3-il of Fig. 12; Fig.14 is an elevation of one of the calipering casters viewed from the left of Fig. 13;

Fig. 15 is an elevation, partly in section, of said caster viewed from the left of Fig. 14; Fig. 16 is a section on line l8-i6 of Fig. 15; Figs. 1'7 and 18 are elevations, corresponding of a modified form of calipering device; and Figs. 19 and 20 are similar elevations of still another form of calipering device.

The machine herein illustrated comprises a magazine or hopper H (Figs. 1, 2 and 3) for holding a stack of blanks to be operated upon. In the present case this hopper is designed to hold a stack of soles or similar blanks and is shown as loaded with a stack of soles S. The soles are fed forward toe end foremost one at a time from the bottom of hopper H to a pair of continuously driven feedrolls I and l' (Figs. 1, 2, 3, 5 and 13) which positively deliver the soles into the measuring mechanism.

The measuring mechanism comprises two detecting and calipering casters, each including an upper calipering roll 2 and a lower calipering roll 2, which traverse the marginal portions only of the blank and follow the contour of the edge of the blank.

As the forward end of each blank emerges from between the calipering rolls 2 and 2 it enters between a presser bar 3 and a continuously driven conveyor chain 3 (Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 7). The blank is carried forward between the presser bar 3 and the conveyor chain 3 to a pair of continuously driven feeding and skiving rolls 4 and 4' (Figs. 1, 2, 4 and 10), which propel the blank past the cutting edge of a flxed knife blade I, by which the blank is skived or evened to a uniform thickness which corresponds to the thinnest spot of the marginal portions as detected and measured by either pair of calipering rolls 2 and 2'. The conveyor 3* may be provided with traction pads of known construction and is driven by a continuously driven sprocket wheel 9 (Fig. 4).

The mechanism for feeding the soles or other blanks forward one by one from the bottom of the stack in' hopper H includes a pawl 6 (Figs. 2 and 3) which is normally at rest in a retracted position as shown in the drawings. The feed pawl tis operated to feeds. blank into the machine each time the preceding completed blank is removed from the machine.

between the skiving rolls 4 and I- it engages and swings forward and upward a roller on the end 4), which prepares or sets for operation the mechanism by which the feed pawl 6 is actuated. The arm 1 remains supported by the blank until the blank is'manually, or it may be automatically,

removed from the machine whereupon the arm- 1 is automatically restored to its original position. by a spring, as hereinafter described, and acts through other mechanism, presently to be described, to bring about a single reciprocatory movement of the feed pawl 6 toward and from the feed rolls i and I. Thus the removal ofa completed blank from the machine causes the feed pawl 6 automatically to move forward and to feed the lowermost blank. from the hopper H and deliver it to the feed rolls i and l-,'after which the feed'pawl returns to its normal, retracted, in-

As the forward end of a trip arm 1 (Fig.

are-1,904.

' adjustable toward and from termined by a stop lug shipper 33 (Figs.

' transverse rock the next completed blank is removed from underneath the trip arm I. In the machine illustrated in the drawings it is contemplated that the completed blank is to .be removed from under the trip arm I by hand. In some known grading ma-' chines of this type a pair of ejecting rolls are provided for; seizing the blank after it emerges from between the skiving rolls .4 and 4' and ejecting it from the machine. Such ejecting rolls (not herein shown) may be used, if desired,-in which case the fall of arm I and the consequent operation of the feed pawl 6 will be effected automatically instead of manually.

- The hopper H (Figs. 1, 2 and 3) comprisesa bottom or floor 8 whose top surface is smooth and fiat, a fixed front wall 9 of usual construction and a movable rear wall it of usual construction the fixed front wall according to the size of the blanks and provided with means for fixing it in adjusted position. At the bottom of the fixed front wall 9 there is the usual spring pressed detent l I (Fig. 3) which prevents more than one blank at a time from being fed forward into the machine.

The floor 8 of the hopper is formed with a longitudinal slot i2 within which slides a carriage i3 upon which the feed pawl 6 is pivoted at I4. The feed pawl 6 is free to swing in one direction on its pivot 14 to a limited extent de- -ii on the carriage II, and in the opposite direction to a limited extent determined by an adjustable stop screw it carried by the carriage. When the pawl [is against stop lug I! the blank engaging nose ll of the pawl is held below the plane of the top surface of the floor 8, but when thepawl t is swung against stop screw l8 its nose i1 is raised above the level of the floor 8 and is in position to engage the lowermost blank in the hopper H.

The lower end of the pawl I is connected by a link ID with an arm I! which is loosely mounted on a rock shaft (Figs. 2, 3 and 5). Fixed to rock shaft'2li along side the arm is is an-.- other arm 2i which is frictionally and yieldingly connected with arm [9. The free end of arm 2i is connected by a link 22 with a crank arm 23 fast on shaft 24 which is normally at rest. Loosely mounted on outside of the frame of the machine is a sprocket wheel 25 (Figs. 2 and 5) connected by a chain 28 with a-sprocket wheel 21 fast on the continuously rotating shaft 28 of the lower feed roll I the latter being continuously driven by the conveyor chain 3.

-The continuously rotated sprocket wheel 25 carries a clutch member 29 (Fig. 5). A complementary clutch member 20 is splinedon shaft 24 so as to be movable axially of theshaft into and out of engagement with clutch member 29. The clutch members arenormaliy disengaged. The clutch member 30 carries a radially projecting pin 2| normally resting against a stop shoulder on an arm 22 of a clutch 2, 5 and 6), which is pivotally mounted at 14 on. the frame of the machine.- The shipper member I! has a depending .arm carrying a roller 36 at its lower end to cooperate with an inclined shoulder 31 provided upona push bar 38. The push bar ll extends forward approximately. to the right-hand end of the machine, as viewed in Fig. 2, and is connected by a bell-crank lever 39, pivoted to the machine frame, with the lower end of a link whose upper end is pivoted to an arm 4i fast on the shaft 42, to which the tripiarm g roll 26. At the same the end-of shaft 24 1 vment of the arm at one endwith link a and at the other as with the frame of the machine yieldingly urges the trip arm ldownward toward its lowermost position and yieldingly urges the push bar 24- endwise toward the, left.

When a finished blank emerging from between rolls 4 and 4* engages and swings the trip arm '1 to the right it acts through rock shaft u,

arm 4i, link 40 and bell crank 29 to move the push bar 38 toward the right (Figs. 2 and 6) thereby shifting the shoulder 31 to the rightof time a spring 41 (Fig. 2) causes the push bar 38 to swing upwardly'and holds the push bar 20 in contact with roll ll.

This brings the shoulder 81 directly behind the shipper roll 26 in a position to engage the roll 36 when the push bar is later shifted toward the left by spring 43. When now the finished blank is removed from under the trip arm 'I the spring 43 forces the push bar "toward the left therebyacting through shoulder 21 to swing the shipper member 83 in the direction to disengage the stop arm 32 from the radial pin ll of clutch member 30. T'hereupon a spring 44,'indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 5, shifts clutch, member 20 axially on shaft 24 into engagement with the rotating clutch member 29, thus rotating the shaft 24 and crank arm 23 in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3.

The shipper member 33 also has a third arm 45 which is raised into the path of the pin 3! when the stop arm 321s disengaged from said pin, with the result that as said pin 3| in its rotation passes the arm 45 it restores the shipper member 22 to its normal position against a stop "on the frame of the machine (Fig. 6), so that when the clutch member 30 is completing one revolution the pin 3i reengages the inclined side of the stop arm 32 (Figs. 1 and 5) which acts as a cam to shift clutch member 30 axially on the shaft 24 in the direction to disengage the clutch member 30 from the clutch member 29. As the shipper member 33 is swung back to its normal position by the action of pin 3| on arm 45 the roller 35 is positively forced past 'the shoulder 31 on push bar 88 into the position shown in Figs. 2 and 6, the spring 41 permitting the bar 28 to yield downwardly during this return movement of the shipper member,

As shown in Figs. 3 and 5 the arm is (on shaft 20) through which the feed pawl 6 is reciprocated ismade with an arcuate slot 48 concentric with theaxis of the shaft 20. This slot is engaged by a bolt 48 carried by the arm 2!. The

. bolt 49' is provided with a head at one end and a wing nut 50 at its opposite end, which may be set up sufficiently tight to provide a frictional power transmitting connection between the two arms, positive enough to actuate the feed pawl 0 under normal conditions but nevertheless capable of yielding or the arm 2| to move independently of the arm ll inlthe event thata blank should become clogged in the hopper. Upon the return move- 2l toward the left this frictional connection will cause the arm I! to move with it until the arm I! engages a stop I projecting from the frame of the machine, after which the yielding frictional connection will permit the arm 2i to complete its movement toward the left independently of the arm until the arm 2i reaches the-limit of its stroke. In this 'manner the two arms i9 and 2i are automatically restored to their normal relationslipping to permit path of thesoles and the conveyor 3, and is ship and the feed slide I! to its normally retracted position at the conclusion of the feeding and return stroke of the arm 2I during which the proper action of thefeed slide I8 and feed pawl has been prevented through clogging or has been otherwise obstructed. I

The presser bar 3 is disposed longitudinally of the machine directly above and parallel to the carried by a pair of parallel arms 52 58 (Fig. of equal length, whose lower ends are.pivotally connected with said bar. The arm 53 is pivotally mounted at 54 upon a cross bar of the machine frame and the arm 52 is fast upon a transverse rock shaft 55 journaled in hearings on another cross bar of the machine frame. The presser bar 3, thus swings in parallelism with the conveyor 3". At one end of shaft 55 outside of the machine frame is-flxed an arm 56 (Figs. 1, 2 and 4) to which is connected one end of a spring 51. The spring 51 acts through arm 58, rock shaft 55 and arm 52 yieldingly to urge the presser bar 3 downwardly and to the left. Movement of the presser bar in that direction is limited by the engagement of a lug 58 on arm 52 with a crossbar of the machine frame (Fig. 4). The presser bar 3' may be equipped with a plurality of anti-friction trucks or rollers 59 which travel on the top side of the blanks as they are fed through the machine by the conveyor chain 3". Thus, as the soles pass through the machine they are held by the spring-pressed bar 3 firmly in engagement with thetraveling conveyor 3 by which they are carried forward to the skiving rolls 4 and 4'.

As the forward end of the blank approaches the skiving rolls 4 and ,4 it 'engages and depresses a trip 68 (Fig. 4) which acts through usual mechanism to effect a single vertical reciprocation of a slide Ill. The slide 5| carries a marking or stamping wheel 52 of known construction whose periphery is made with marking characters or types indicating grades, usually in terms of irons and half irons.

The type wheel 62 is rotatably adjusted as usual by the endwise movement of a transverse slide bar 83 (Figs. 1, 2 and 4), mounted in ways on the frame of the machine, and when the type wheel is forced down on top of the blank by the reciprocation of slide 6| the appropriate grade mark is impressed upon the blank. I

During the operation of the machine the slide bar 83 is adjusted endwise and set in response to and in accordance with the thickness of the thinnest partof the blank as determined by the detecting and measuring mechanism.

The upper skiving roll 4 (Fig. 4) is journaled in journal boxes 54 which are mounted to move in vertical ways 81 on the frame of the machine. Each journalbox 54 is provided upon its top side with the usual wedge block or inclined abutment 65 inverted wedge block or inclined abutment 55 on the under side of slide bar 53. The opposed faces of the wedge blocks may be stepped, as usual, to provide horizontal stop surfaces.

The lower feed-roll 4 is journaled in journal boxes 68 which are also mounted to slide in the vertical ways 51 and are yieldingly suppprted as usual by a pair of stiff springs, shown at 89.

When the forward. end of a blank enters between the skiving rolls 4- and 4, the slide bar 53 having previously been adjustedby the detecting and measuring mechanism in accordance one of which is (Figs. 1,

(Figs. 4 and to cooperate with a similar which is a rigid part of an arm I82.

with the thickness grade of that blank, the upper roll'4 is lifted until its pair of wedge blocks or abutments 85 engage and are stopped by the pair of abutments 86 on slide bar 88. The distance between roll 4 and the edge of the knife blade 5 now corresponds to thethickness of the thin spot of the blank as determined by the measuring mechanism and determines the thickness to which the blank will be evened or skived. Thicker areas of the blank will force the lower roll 4 downward against the pressure of springs 89 and will be skived off by the knife.

The cuttingmechanism itself, including the rolls 4 and 4 and the knife blade 5, also the marking mechanism including the type wheel 82, slide 8| and connections between the type wheel 62 and the adjustable slide bar 83, also the trip 58 and the mechanism through which it effects the operation of the stamping slide 8|, may all be of usual and known construction.

The transverse slide bar rack of teeth 18 (Fig. 1) meshing with a pinion 1I fixed to the upper end of a vertical shaft 12 journaled in hearings on the machine frame. At the lower end of shaft 12 is fixed a pinion 19 meshing with a rack bar 14 (Fig. 2). The rack bar 14 is attached at one end to a slide mounted in ways 16 on the machine frame and the slide 15 is in turn attached to one end of another rack bar 11 which is mounted to slide on ways in bracket 18 on the machine frame. The opposite end of rack bar 11 is provided with a rack of teeth 19 meshing with a gear 88 fast on a transverse shaft 8| (Figs. 2 and 9) Journaled in hearings on the frame of the machine.

Fixed to shaft 8| are a pair of abutment arms 82 (Figs. 3, 9 and 13) which coact with a pair of stop arms 83 loosely mounted on shaft 8|. Each stop arm 83 is made with a hub provided with a gear segment 84 (see also Fig. 11) which meshes with a rack of teeth 85 on a vertical slide bar 86. Each slide bar 85 has an arm or lug 81 formed with an aperture 88 through which loosely extends a vertical stem 89. Each stem 89 is provided at its lower end with a pair of adjustable abutment nuts 98 side of lug 81.

The upper part of each vertical slide bar 85 is also provided on its inner face with a rack of ratchet teeth 9| which cooperate with a pair of pawls or detents 92 (Figs. 3, 11 and 13). Said detents are pivotally mounted at 93 on the frame of the machine and are normally held in retracted or inoperative position against the pull of spring 98 by a pin 94 on arm 94 fast on a rock shaft 95. There are two arms 94 on rock shaft 95, one for each pair of detents 92 and said rock shaft also has fixed to its end an arm 81 3 and 9) which is connected by a link 98 to the arm 55 on rock shaft 55 which can'ies one end of the presser bar 3, as already described. Hence the swinging movements of presser bar 3 engage and disengage the pawls 92 with their racks 9|.

The upper end 'of each stem 89 is pivotally connected to a lever 99 through which the findings of the calipering rolls are transmitted to the setting mechanism and thence to the grading mechanism. Each lever 99 (Figs. 1, 3, 9, 12 and 13) is fulcrumed at I88 on an upright post MI The arm I82 is pivotally supported at I83 underneath the floor of the hopp r (Fig. 13) so as to swing laterally and horizontally in a path parallel to the floor 8 of the hopper. There are two arms I82,

one for each pair of calipering rolls and their to cooperate with the under 53 is made with a associated parts and one disposed at each sideofthehopper H. Thefroecndofeacharm I02 is supported in partjry a truck or roller Ill iournaled on post III'and rolling upon the flat top surface of the floor 0 as-the arms swing laterally. The pivot of each arm I02 is a tubular stud screw l0! (Fig. 13) threaded into the bottom plate of the hopper, and the stem 00 con.-, necting lever 90 to slide bar I! through the tubular screw Ill, Consequently when arms I02 are swung laterally their levers 00 are free to move with them. o On the free end of each arm I02 is an upright yoke Ill (Figs..l3 and 14) having an inwardly extending lower arm Ill and an inwardly extending upper arm Ill. Both of these'arms are provided with apertures in which is swiveled the calipering caster. The caster comprises a frame I00 on which are mounted the two calipering rolls 2 and 2'. The lower calipering r0112 is. provided with a trunnion I'I0 confined within a bearing provided in the lower part of the caster frame I09. The upper part of the caster frame is formed with vertical ways III within whichis mounted a slide-II2 having a stud IIlon which the upper calipering roll 2 is journaled. From the upper end of slide II2 a vertical stem Ill extends upwardly through an apertured lug H5 provided at the top of the caster frame I08 and also upwardly through the aperture in the upper arm I00 of the yoke I06. Above the arm I00 is a collar IIB fast on stem Ill which, by engagement with the top of the arm I08, serves as a' stop to limit the downward movement of slide H2 and its upper roll 2. when the stop collar H6 is against the arm I08 the upper calipering roll 2 is just out of contact with the lower roll 2. The lower end of the caster frame I09 is provided with a vertical trunnion I I'I'axially aligned with the stem Ill and extending downwardlythrough the aperture in arm "1. Thus, the caster frame is free to oscillate on the vertical axis of stem Ill and trunnion III. A thrust ball bearing H0 is interposed between the lower arm I01 of the yoke and the lower end of the caster frame I00.

Tnmnion H1 is provided near its lower end with a short laterally extending arm or pin II! which is normally held in engagement with a stop pin I on yoke I08 by means of a spring III, which connects the caster frame I08 and the yoke I08; Spring I 2I is not always essential but when employed it serves to hold the caster frame in the oblique position relative to the path of the blanks as illustrated in Fig. 12. This oblique position facilitates the entry of a sole 8 between the two casters, especially when the sole has a broad forward end and under certain conditions of adjustment of the stops I2I which limit the movement of the arms I02 toward each other under the influence of springs I22. The springs I22 serve to 1 hold thetwo casters yieldingly against the opposite side edges of the blank as the latter passes between them. I

The upper end of the stem Ill is positioned immediately beneath and against an arm I20 which forms a part of a link I2l, whose lower end is pivotaily' connected at I20 with the short arm of lever 98. A link I21 is pivoted at one end at I20 to the top of post Ill and its other end is pivoted at I28 to link I24. The distance between pivot I28 -andfulcrum I00 is the sameas the distance between pivots I20 and I25,

Also the distance between pivots I20 and I2! is the same as the distance between pivot l2l and fulcrumill. 'lhisprovidesaparallelmotion.

a spring lllconnectingthe short arm or lever ll to the swing arm I02 serves yieldingly tourge the stem II and slide bar 00 upwardly, and also serves yleidingly to press the upper calipering roll 2 downwardly toward the, lower roll 2* so".

as to yieldingly pinch the blank between the two rolls. As the calipering rolls traverse an uneven blank passing betwen them the upper roll 2 is moved toward and from the lower roll 2' and this motion is. transmitted through link I2 l, lever 00 and stem 02 to the sliding ratchet bar 26. The difference in length between the two arms of lever it as opposite sides of the fulcrum...

wardly but only upwardly. The downward movement of slide 06 is eilected by'gravity assisted by,

a light coil spring I30 (Figs. 3 and 13) surrounding the stem 09. This spring abuts at one end against the lug 01 and at its other end against a pair of abutment nuts Ill adiilstably mounted on the stem 09., -The nuts Ill also serve to limit the upward swing of the long arm of lever 90 by engagement with the head of the tubular "screw I05.

Each caster frame I09 also has mounted on it a pair of trucks or rolls I32 which rotate in a..

horizontal plane on vertical axes at one sideof the calipering rolls 2, 2. These two rolls I32 assuming the deconstitute guiding rolls for engagement with the edges of the blank to guide the caster and cause the calipering rolls 2, 2 to traverse the marginof the blank and follow the contour of the edge. The guiding rolls I32 are preferably so positloned that their peripheries are substantially tangent to the plane of the inner faces of the calipering rolls and are also preferably spaced apart one on each sideof and equally distant from the plane passing through the axes of the two calipering rolls.

In practice satisfactory results have been obtained by making the calipering rolls 2 and 2- about one-half an inch thick, although this may be varied in accordance with the width of the marginal area which it is desired to gauge.

While the sole or other blank is passing between different positions of the caster. The arrows c (Fig. 12) .indicate the marginal paths on the sole traversed by the calipering rolls and the arrow d indicates the direption of movement of 'the sole through the machine.

The rack bar 11 has connected to it one end I of a comparatively heavy and dominant spring Ill (Figs. land 2) the opposite end of which is connected at I with the frame of the machine. The spring in is normally under tension and tends to shift the rack bar 11 toward the right as indicated by the arrow in 1"ig..2; The rack bar 11, however, is normally prevented from shifting to the right by one or the other of a pair of detents I which engage a rack of ratchet teeth I36 fixed to the bar 11 (Figs. 2 and 8). The rack bar 11 constitutes the power transmission member by which the grading devices are adjusted. The pawls I35 are controlled by a trip in the path of the blanks passing through the machine. This trip and the mechanism for controlling the pawls I35 include a trip arm I31 (Figs. 1, 2 and '1) provided at its free end with a roller I38 'which normally lies in the path of the V blanks and is engaged and lifted by each blank passing underneath it. The other end of the trip arm I31 is made with a split hub which is rod I42. The lower end of the push rod I42 engages the tail pieces of pawls I35. A spring m surrounding the lower part of push rod 2 bears at one end against a bracket I44 on the machine frame and at the other end against a washer I held in position on the push rod by a pin I46. The spring I43 yieldingly holds the push rod to the limit of its upward movement with the trip arm I 31 and trip roll I33 indepresse'd position in the path of the blanks. Whenthe for-. ward endof a blank comes underneath trip roll I38 it acts through arm I31, rock shaft I39, arm I and push rod I42 to disengage both detents or pawls I35 from the ratchet teeth I36, whereupon the spring I33 shifts the rack bar 11 toward the right (Fig. 2). This movement of rack bar 11 also shifts the slide 16 and rack bar 14 to the right and the movement of rack bar 14 rotates pinion 13, shaft 12 and pinion H in a direction to shift the transverse slide bar 63 endwise to the left as indicated by the'arrow in Fig. 10, that is, away from the observer in Fig. 2. This movement, under the influence of the heavy spring I33, is retarded or cushioned to avoid undue shocks by a dashpot I41 whose piston rod I43 is connected the slide 13.

When the rack bar 11 is thus released fromthe locking pawls I35 and shifted to the right (Fig. 2) it also acts through rack 13 and gear 33 to rotate the shaft M in the direction of the arrows (Figs. 2 and 3) until oneor the other of the abutment arms 32 fixed to shaft 3I is brought into engagement with its complementary stop arm 83, which has previously been adjusted and set .by one .of the marginal calipering devices. This engagement of one of the arms 32 with one of the arms 33 limits the extent of movement of the rack bar 11 under the influence of spring I33, the stop arms 33 being rigidly locked against angular displacement in that direction by the -engagement of the detents 32 with the ratchet teeth 3| of the slide bars 36.

During the. measuring of the blank by thecalipering rolls .the two stems 33 will be moved up and down in response to difl'erences'in thickness, of different parts of the blank but owing to the fact that the detents or pawls 32 are in engagement with the ratchet teeth 3I during the measuring operation, the slide bars 36 can be ad- Justed upwardly only, in response to successiveLv thinner spots encountered by the calipering rolls, since the ratchet teeth 3I face downwardly.

with an arm projecting from,

When a thicker part of the blank is encountered by the calipering rolls causing the rolls 2 to move upwardly the stems 83 are free to move downwardly by reason of the yielding connection I30 between the stems 83 and slides 86, without affecting the slides 86 which are locked by pawls 92 against downward movement.

The effective strength of the dominant spring I 33 is greater than that of both springs I29 (Fig. 13) so that even after the rear end of the blank has passed from between thecalipering rolls the longer arm of the lever 33, which is connected with the then effective stop arm 83, will be held depressed by the spring I33. Therefore, as soon as the rear end of the blank departs from between the calipering rolls the upper rolls 2, together with their slides H2 and stems II4, will independently fall by ravity to their lowermost position.

Trip I38 on trip arm I31 (Fig. 7) is so positioned as to be engaged by the forward end of the blank before the rear end of the blank leaves the calipering rolls. Hence the spring I 33 will be in control of the slide bars 86 before the upper calipering rolls are released by the blank. "Also by the adjustment of trip arm I31 length- .wise on rock shaft I39 the length of the part of the blank which is to be calipered may be varied.

It will now be clearthat the calipering rolls, which traverse the opposite side margins of the blank and by which the thinnest spot is detected, will control and determine the extent of movement toward the right (Fig. 2') of rack bar 11, and thattheextent of movement of the rack bar 11 and of slide bar 63 occasioned by the operation of trip I31 will be directly proportional to the thickness of the thinnest spot of the marginal area as determined by either of the two calipering devices. Said movement of the rack bar 11 and slide 63 will be six times the corresponding movement of the calipering roll 2 in response to variations in the actual thickness dimensions of the blank, since the pitch diameter of gear 83 istwice as great as the pitch diameter of gear segments 84. Therefore the linear movement of rack bar 11, under the influence of spring I33, will always be twice that of the downward displacement of the slide bar 86 which is effective at the time,'that is, the slide bar 86 which occupies the higher position at the moment trip I31 is operated. The slide bar 86 occupy g the higher position will be'the one associated with the calipering rolls which detected the thinnest spot in the blank before the operation of trip I31.

Since the movement of the slide bar 86 is three times that of the upper calipering roll which controls it, the teeth 3| are spaced one-sixteenth (1/16) of an inch apart to correspond to a displacement of the upper calipering roll 2 of one iron (1/48 of an inch); and in order to provide for the measurement of a half iron the pawls 32 differ in length one thirty-second (1 /32) of an inch so that one or the other of the two pawls 32 will engage the ratchet teeth 9I with-. in a tolerance corresponding to a half iron. Similarly, since the movement of the rack bar 11 is twice as great as that of the rack slide 86, the teethof ratchet I36 are spaced one-eighth (1/8) of an inch apart andthe two pawls I35 diifer in length one-sixteenth (1/ 16) of an inch.

The sprocket wheel I43 (Fig. 4) by which the conveyor chain 3 is driven is fast on a transverse shaft I53, on which is also fixed a second sprocket wheel I5I (Fig. 2) connected by a chain I52 with a sprocket wheel I53 fast on shaft I54 of are-mos the lower feeding and lkiving roll 3. Shaft I54 The main shaft I51 has'also flxedtoit a gearmeshing with a gear I" (Figs. 1 and 4) for contlnuously driving a gear Iii fast on the shaft I52 of the upper feeding and skiving roll I.

The upper horizontal stretch of the conveyor chain 3' occupies a groove or channel I33 (Figs. 4 and '1) on top of the bed plate I, by'which the chain is supported and guided. The end of under the influence of spring I22.

this plate toward-the measuring devices is'made with a narrow grooved horn or extension I (Figs. 1 and 3) which occupies a central pomtion between the two calipering casters. The free end of this extension I55 projects close to the feed rolls I and I so, that the horizontal stretch of chain 3' is supported throughout approximately its entire length.

Referring to Fig. 12 the stop I2I for each swing arm -III2 is the head of a bolt whose shank extends loosely through a hole I" in arm I32 and thence loosely through an aperture I51 in the side frame of the machine to the outer side of the frame where it is provided with adjustable abiitment nut. I53, which cooperates with the frame to limit the inward swing of the arm III2 The abutment nut I53 is fixed in its adjusted position by means of a wing nut I33. The coiled spring I22 on each stop bolt I2I is confined between its arm I02and the side of the frame. The stop bolts I2I may be adjusted and set to accord with the width of the blanks being operated upon.

After a blank has been marked, evened or otherwise graded, it is necessary to restore the rack bar. 11 to its original position ready for 'another blank, with the spring I33 under tension.

This is accomplished by mechanism actuated by the feeding mechanism. As already explained the removal of a finished blank from the machine, thereby allowing trip arm 1 to fall, results in rocking the shaft 20 first to the right and then i to the left to impart a single reciprocation to feed pawl 8. Fixed to one end of rock-shaft 2II outside of the frame of the machine is an arm I (Fig. 2) to which is attached one end of a chain I1I whose opposite end is attachedto, a pulley I12 fast on shaft BI (Figs. 1 and 9). When shaft is rocked to the right it acts through arm I13, chain HI and pulley I12 to turn shaft II to the left, thereby turning gear to theleft and acting through rack 19 to shift "rack bar 11 to its initial position at the left with the spring I33 under tension. During this returnmovement of rack bar 11 the pawls I35 click or trail idly over the teeth of ratchet I35 but engage and hold the ratchet and the bar 11 against movementtoward the right. When the arm, I10 swings back to the left at the conclusion of its single reciprocation the chain I1I is slack, as shown in Fig. 2, thus leaving the shaft 3| free to be angularly adjusted by rack bars 38 during the detecting and measuring operation.

When the rear or trailing end of the blank passes out from beneath the presser bar 3 the "spring 51 (Fig. 1) acts through the connections already described to restore the presser bar to its normal depressed position and todisengage both set of pawls 32 (Figs. 3, Hand 13) from ratchets u. Thereupon the springs m (Fig. 13)

restore levers l3, slides it and stop' arms 33 to their normal position as soon as the abutment arms .32 are returned to their normal position by the movement of rack bar 11 to the left by arm I13. At the time when the rear end of the blank moves out from under the presser bar 3 and the latter falls, as just described, the

.blank is between the feeding and skiving rolls l and 6'. Under these conditions the transverse slide bar 33 is clamped immovable by the pressure of the lower wedge blocks 35 against the upper .wedge blocks 58. Consequently, when the pawls 32 areretracted, the wedge-carrying slide bar 83 remains locked against displacement until the blank is discharged from between rolls 4 and 4'. "At this time also the pawls I35 are in holding cal ways provided on the frame of the machine,

said boxesbeing yieldingly urged downward by springs I15. The upper ends of the springs I15 bear against abutment screws I15 which are adjustable to regulate the pressure of the springs. The continuously driven. shaft 28 of the lower feed roll I is joumaled in fixed bearings on the frame of the machine and carries gears I11 (Fig,

,5) near its ends which mesh with driving gears I13,on shaft I13 of the upper roll.

The operation of the machine is as follows:

Assume that the grading of a blank has just been completed and that the blank hasbeen discharged from the skiving rolls, l and 4 and still rests underneath and supports the trip 1 at the outgoing end of the machine. Under these conditions the feed pawl 6 will be in its extreme retracted position; the presser bar 3 will be in its depressed or lowermost position acting through link 93 to hold the pawls 92 disengaged from the ratchets 9| on slide bars 86; the trip I33 will also'be in its lowermost or depressed position in the path of the blanks, thereby holding the push rod I42 elevated and the locking pawls I35 in engagement with ratchet I35 on slide bar 11; and 'the slide bar 11 will stand in a position shifted to the right. to the extent determined by the measurement of the outgoing blank.

time the rack bar 11 is shifted by the movement of the feed-operating mechanism to its extreme position at the left, with the spring I33 under tension, and is there held by locking pawls I35.

Both pairs of calipering rolls 2 and 2 will be held by their springs I29 in their positions of closest approach, with the two ratchet slides 85' in their extreme elevated position. The lowermost blank in the hopper H is fed forward by the feed pawl 6 from the bottom of the stack 3 into the nip of the feed rolls I and I, whiclr seize the blank and advance it to the conveyor chain 3' and between the two pairs of calipering rolls 2 and 2, carried by the twocasters sw'i-veled on swing arms I02, which are spread apart, by the advancing blank.

At substantially the same time when the advance end of the blank enters between the callpering rolls (see Figs. 2, 3 and 4) it engages the forward end of the presser bar 3 and swings the bar 3 bodily to the right and slightly upward far enough for the blank to pass underneath it. This movement of the presser bar 3 acts through link 93 to let the locking pawls 92 into engagement with the ratchets 9i on slides 33. This starts the effective measuring of the blank substantially simultaneously with the entry of the leading end of the blank between the detecting and calipering rolls, and therefore calipers the blank from its extreme forward end. So long as the pawls 92' are in engagement with their slides 36 the measurement of successively thinner spots in the blank encountered by the calipering rolls 2 and 2 will be transmitted to and preserved by the slides 36, since the slides 36 are free to be raised by any downward movement of the calipering rolls 2 and are locked by the pawls 92 in the highest position to which they are raised; but any upward movement of calipering rolls 2 in response to thicker regions of the blank wlll'not be transmitted to the slides 36, which are locked by pawls 92 against downward movement. The downward movement of levers 99 and stems 39, in response to thicker measurements of the blank, will be permitted by the yielding connection I30 without aflecting slides 36. Consequently the slides 36 will register and preserve the measurement of the thinnest spot determined by the two pairs of calipering rolls 2 and 2 and these measurements will be confined to the side marginal portions of predetermined widths which are uniform throughout their lengths since the calipering rolls 2, 2, are carried by swiveled casters which are guided by rollers I32 to follow the shape and sinuosities of the side edges of the blank.

As the blank advances through the machine, propelled by the conveyor chain 3, against which it is firmly held by the yielding spring-pressed presser bar 3, it next encounters and lifts the trip roll -'I33 on trip arm I31. As the trip roll I33 rides up on top of the blank, it depresses the push rod- I42, thereby disengaging pawls I36 from ratchet 'I33 and permitting the power-trans- 'mitting rack bar 11 to shift to the right underthe influence of spring I 33 until it is arrested by the engagement of one of the stops 32 with one of the stops 33, depending on. which one of the stops 33 is set according to the thinner measureent as found by the two sets of calipering deces. This action of the rack bar 'II terminates the measuring operation and adjusts and sets the grading devices (evening and stamping mechanisms) through slide bar 63 in accordance with the then measurement of the thickness of the thinnest part of the blank as determined by either of the two calipering devices. If any variations in thickness of the blank are subseqeuntly encountered by the calipering rolls 2, 2', in that part of the blank which has not yet passed between the calipering rolls, such-variations will not affect the measurement setting and transmission mechanisms, since the ratchet bars 33 can not be further lifted by the springs I23 because the stops 32 are held under the control .of the more dominant and powerful spring I33, nor can the ratchet bars 33 be further lowered in response to thicker areas encountered in the blank since they are still locked by pawls 32.

Upon the further advance of the blank through the machine it next encounters trip 33 and depresses the same, thereby actuating the stamping device by which the type wheel is forced down slide bar 63 upon the operation of the trip I33.

The blank next enters between the feeding and skiving rolls 4 and 4, whose abutment wedge blocks 66 were also adjusted by the slide bar 63 according to the ascertained grade measurement when the trip I33 was actuated, and the blank is skived or evened down by the knife blade to a uniform thickness corresponding to the ascertained measurement of its thinnest spot.

When the rear or trailing end of the blank passes out from under trip I38 the latter falls again to the bed plate and permits the locking pawls I33 again to engage ratchet I36; and when the blank passes out from underneath the presser bar 3 the latter also swings downwardly and to the left to its lowermost or thereby disengaging pawls 92 from ratchet slides 36. This, however, will not disturb the adjustment of the grading devices since, as already explained, the slide bar 63 will be held against displacement by the clamping of the wedge blocks 65 and 66 so long as a blank is between the rolls 4 and 4, and also by the locking pawls I35.

After the blank has been discharged from bedepressed position,

tween the skiving rolls 4 and 4 it is withdrawn and the alternative forms of calipering devices illustrated in Figs. 17, 18, 19, and 20, have been disregarded for the sake of clearness. These will now be described.

As already explained, the swinging of the presser bar to the right by the advance end of the blank causes the pawls 92 to engage their ratchets 9i and start the effective measuring of the blank.

This occurs, with the construction shownin Figs. 3 and 4, at the same time when the advance end of the blank enters the measuring rolls and so measures the blank from its extreme forward end. It is often desired, however, to allow a certain length of the blank to pass through the calipering devices without being measured, and also to be able to vary the extent of such unmeasured length. For example, soles are often passed through a grading machine heel end first, and since the grade of a sole is determined by the grade of-\its forepart, the measurements of the heel part are disregarded. In Figs. 4 and 4 I have illustrated a presser bar which is adjustable in length to provide for delaying or advancing the time when the effective measuring of the blank will begin, with relation to its passage through the calipering devices. This presser bar is made in two telescoping or sliding sections 3" and 3. The section 3 consists of two parallel side-bars and is pivotally connected at its right nd end with arm 33 (the same as the presser bar 3, Fig. 4) Its lefthand end is pivotally connected with arm 32 and terminates at said arm 62. The section 3' is of channel shape in cross;- section, as best shown in Fig. 4 and embraces the left-hand end of section 3 The opposed side flanges-of section 3 are formed with longitudinal slots through which extends the pintle 32' by which the arm 62 is pivotally connected with section 3. The pintle 63", on which one of the antifrlction rollers 39 of section 3 is jour- 

